Drying mat

ABSTRACT

A drying mat having an open-hole mesh with jersey backing top layer and a terry cloth bottom layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to drying mats, and in particular to bonding twoor more layers into a drying mat constructed to provide for fast dryingof persons, animals or objects while providing a surface for receivingthe persons, animals or objects or subjects which prevents damage ordiscomfort to the persons, animals or objects.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Drying mats for people, animals and objects are well known in the art.These drying mats include one layer of absorbent material for receivingwet objects such as both dinnerware and silverware after being washed,fruit or vegetables after being washed and wet persons and animals afterthey have been washed, caught in the elements or after swimming. Thereare one-layer materials including different types of paper and varioustextiles such as terry cloth. These types of one-layer materials oftenreceive water drippings which drippings are either absorbed to cause theone-layer material to remain wet, or to transfer the water drippings tothe counter, floor or other support surface upon which the one-layermaterial is resting. These one-layer materials usually provide a dampsurface which can cause damage to the support surface or to make thesupport surface become slippery causing possible damage or injury due toslipping or falling, and provide an environment for the presence ofunhealthy microbes or other disease-causing matter. Furthermore, theone-layer drying mats often remain damp or wet, causing the object,person or animals resting upon them to remain partially damp or wet, andfurther leaving an odoriferous atmosphere after use.

Multi-layer drying mats are also known. These can be two-layer mats, butusually include at least three-layer drying mats composed of at leastthree layers for receiving wet people, animals or objects, and receivingwater drippings therefrom and absorbing such water drippings tofacilitate the drying of the objects, persons or animals. For example,U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2010/0143640, 2010/0143645 and 2010/0209661(all to Wilmsen, 2010) each describes a drying mat which respectivelyincludes a first microfiber layer and a second microfiber layersandwiching a foam layer, the layers being held together by adhesivelayers between the respective foam layer and the respective microfiberlayers. A binding around the perimetrical edges of the microfiber layersand the foam layers assist in attaching them together. The microfiberlayers allegedly have a soft and cushioning nature which cushionsstemware and glasses and protects countertops from dishes and cookwarewhile drying. The microfiber also allegedly has a wicking action. Theforegoing microfiber is non-woven. It has a honeycomb or other patternfor increasing the surface area of the drying mat. The foam layerallegedly serves the purpose of absorbing water and cushioning dishesplaced thereon. The microfiber layers have honeycombed surfaces toincrease their absorbency by reason of their wicking action and byreason of gravity. To produce the foregoing product, the microfiberlayers are bonded to the foam layer by heat compression, and the bindingmaterial is connected to the laminate material by sewing. A shortcomingof the foregoing type of drying mat is the requirement that it has threelayers, and there is no structure suggested for making the foregoingmats attractive when in use. Another shortcoming is limited absorbentcapacity of the microfiber material. Although the foregoing drying matallegedly can absorb four to five times its own weight in water, thereis no allegation that the foregoing drying mat retains such absorbedwater. Therefore, water can ooze from the drying mat or be forcedtherefrom by the weight of dishes, glasses, a person, etc., disposedthereon, causing possible damage to the surface upon which the dryingmat rests which and possibly re-wets the dishes, glasses, person, etc.,disposed thereon. A serious shortcoming is that these prior drying matsbecome odoriferous following use, and they fall apart upon repeatedwashings. Importantly, there is no provision in the foregoing drying matthat permits air flow in the mat for evaporating moisture absorbed inthe mat, causing the above-described mat not to dispense the absorbedmoisture. The foregoing drying mats presently on the market arethree-ply having matching top and bottom layers using polyester woveninto a waffle-type weave (called “waffle dobby”), and its middle portionis an inexpensive polyurethane foam.

Other drying mats are also known. There are various disposable dryingmats usually composed of cellulose material such as absorbent paperproducts, but these can be cumbersome to store and discard, and are notfrequently used for aiding in the drying of dishes and the like, nor forassisting in the drying of persons or animals. Disposable drying matsare discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,251,372 (Nicholson 1941), 3,616,134(Palenske 1971), 4,328,275 (Vargo 1982) and 7,208,216 (Ackerman 2007),and in U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0093788 (Behm et al. 2006). Anotherdisposable mat for absorbing oil and other liquids is U.S. Pat. No.5,500,267 (Canning 1996), which is composed of a plastic sheet with anoil-absorbing layer and additional layers.

As mentioned above, there are known a couple of one-layer towels (notdrying mats) composed of something more than plain terry cloth. Theseinclude U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,961,969 (Nichols 2005) and 7,137,157 (Nichols2006) which disclose towels with an absorbent base layer andnon-absorbent projections.

There were also four patents located describing mats having two layers.A two-layer sorbent article is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,629(Insley 1998) having a sorbent layer with a texturized polymeric skinlayer secured to a surface of the sorbent layer to give the article anon-slip property. U.S. Pat. No. 6,579,816 (Lockett 2003) describes acut-resistant and shred-resistant absorbent sheet having an absorbentand cut- and shred-resistant layer and a base layer. In U.S. Pat. No.6,774,067 (Demott et al. 2004), there is described a mat havingmicro-knitted plush polyester fabric to which is bonded a rubberbacking.

There are included in known mat constructions complicated drying matshaving many layers (four or more) with presumably added manufacturingcosts. The latter drying mats are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,962,350(Krotine 1999—a floor mat), 6,899,940 (Leriget 2005) and 6,911,407(Sherrod et al 2005).

Also known are drying mats having three layers. One such mat is thesubject of U.S. Pat. No. 7,067,174 (Carkeek 2006) which discloses a mathaving a non-slip backing layer, a top absorbent layer and anintermediate stabilizing layer. U.S. Patent Publication 2004/0229535(Tang 2004) describes an anti-slide mat having a woolly layer, a baselayer and an anti-slide layer formed with an anti-slide paste. U.S. Pat.No. 4,684,562 (Hartkemeyer 1987) has a cardboard layer that is liquidabsorbent and permeable, a liquid absorbent, cork intermediate layer,and a liquid-resistant, foil protected bottom support layer.

There are also other patents disclosing products which may be of generalinterest although they are not relevant to drying mats. A container,shelf or drawer liner is explained in U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,862 (Fontenotet al. 2005) as having a liquid impervious layer and an absorbent layercontaining a material for controlling odors. U.S. Pat. No. 7,208,216(Ackerman 2007) is directed to a disposable cutting sheet for use withfood items and has a cut-resistant layer made of apertured thermoplasticply, an absorbent ply and a liquid-impervious layer.

Included in the latter group of patents are yoga and exercise mats. Acomposite yoga mat and straps is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,485,071(Edwards 2009) and its divisional U.S. Publication 2005/0192158 (2005),which disclose a product composed of an absorbent terry cloth or otherabsorbent sheet embedded on one side with a flexible foam coating offrictional material for protecting the flooring from sweat, and toprevent moisture from moving up out of the ground when the mat is usedoutside. The foam allegedly provides a cushioning effect. U.S.Publication 2004/0250346 (Vasishth 2004) describes an anti-slip,multi-layer exercise mat having an upper fabric layer, a lower pliablefoam layer and an intermediate adhesive layer.

There are presently no known drying mats composed of two plies which arebonded together which provide both for air circulation and are veryabsorbent. Furthermore, no such construction of drying mats is knownwhich prevent substantial water penetration and are economical to makeand use. The inventor is also unaware of drying mats having a three-plyconstruction which enable air circulation, are very absorbent, andprovide a cushioning effect to prevent damage to either persons oranimals or objects placed thereon and to protect the counter, floor orother surface for supporting the drying mat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drying mat whichboth enables the circulation of air therethrough and provides for theabsorption of water.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a drying matfor drying of dishware, dinnerware and cookware, including dishes,glasses, stemware, eating implements, cooking implements and the likewhich is water absorbent, protects countertops from both chipping damageand water stains and enables the draining of objects placed thereonwithout subjecting such objects to damage by being chipped, broken orscratched due to being tipped over or against other objects, thisfeature being due to thickness and cushioning effect of the drying mat.

Another object is to provide a drying mat for persons or animals whichprovides great water absorbency, air circulation, and limits waterpenetration therethrough to protect the floor, countertop or othersupporting surface for the drying mat against water stains.

It is another object to provide a two-ply laminated drying mat which iseffective in operation, durable, washable and inexpensive to produce.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a dryingmat which is highly water absorbent yet provides for sufficientevaporation to prevent the drying mat from being saturated or retainingexcessive moisture which would prevent the objects, or persons oranimals disposed thereon from remaining wet or damp.

It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide adrying mat for cushioning objects, or persons or animals placed thereonwhich is absorbent, durable, does not retain absorbed water, limits theflow of water therethrough, is protective of both persons or animals andobjects disposed thereon and is protective of the surface supporting thedrying mat.

Yet still an additional object of the present invention is the provisionof a drying mat having the provisions discussed above which can beprovided with attractive colors and designs.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a drying matwith a highly water absorbent characteristic and is attractive, durableand resists water penetration therethrough.

These and other objects are achieved by the invention describedhereinafter and from the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the embodiment shown inthe direction 2-2 in FIG. 1 with the opposing surfaces shown in enlargedform.

FIG. 3 is a view of a terry cloth layer of the embodiment in FIGS. 1 and2, shown in perspective form.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the top layer of the product shown inFIGS. 1-3, in a partial and enlarged form.

FIG. 5 is a schematic, partial cross-sectional view of the embodimentaccording to FIGS. 1-3, showing the transmission of moisture and airthrough the foregoing embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the embodiment shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view of another embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another modification of the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show the drying mat according to the invention in aS-fold in perspective and schematic forms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a drying mat isprovided composed of a knit double-face, open-hole mesh with a jerseybacking and a double-faced terry cloth layer for absorbing water. Theopen-hole mesh with a jersey backing both absorbs water and enables aircirculation within the mat to evaporate water from the terry clothlayer. The drying mat also has a border binding for securing theopen-hole mesh with jersey backing layer and the terry cloth layer. Animportant aspect of the present invention is the bonding of the twolayers together, yielding a very efficient and effective drying mat. Thedrying mat of the present invention is unusually beneficial for itsdrying function due to the unique placement of the holes of theopen-hole mesh to allow for any fluid and moisture movement while theportions of the top layer lacking holes supports objects, persons oranimals on top of the drying mat. Drying mats according to the presentinvention enable air to circulate in the mat to evaporate moistureabsorbed or otherwise in the mat causing it to dry unusually quickly.

FIG. 1 shows a drying mat 10 according to one embodiment of theinvention. Drying mat 10 has an opposing open-hole mesh with jerseybacking top layer 14, and a double-faced terry cloth bottom layer 12which is shown as being visible due to a rolled-up corner 16 of dryingmat 10. Open-hole mesh with jersey backing top layer 14 and terry clothbottom layer 12 are joined together by bonding. A decorative binding 18is attached to layers 12 and 14 by means of stitching 20 for coveringloose edges of the bonded fabrics. While FIG. 1 shows open-hole meshwith jersey backing layer 14 as being the top or upper layer and terrycloth bottom layer 12 as being the bottom or lower layer, these could infact be reversed so that the open-hole mesh with jersey backing layer 14is the bottom layer and layer 12 is the top layer. However, it has beenfound that the preferred embodiment is that as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, double-face terry cloth bottom made of adouble-sided knitted terry bottom layer 12 terry which is made on acircular knitting machine that knits the material course by course withdefined loop sizes in a continuous tubular form, which is cut into aflat material prior to heat setting the terry material at a specifiedwidth that determines the thickness and weight of the material. Terrycloth knitwear is usually manufactured using multiple yarns. The terryloops are interconnected or knitted jointly with the ground yarn intothe base fabric. That is, the terry loop fabric has terry loops on boththe front and back surfaces and in which the front loop and the backloop are inter-knitted. The construction of the terry cloth bottom layer12 in the preferred embodiment is made from uniquely blended yarns of100D/18F×150D/144F (these relate to the yarn size and filament count inthe two transverse directions) with an overall content of 88%biconstituent fiber and 12% polyester. Biconstituent fiber is a blendedyarn of 78% micro-polyester and 22% polyamide nylon (sometimes calledmicrofiber or micro-filament yarn). The micro-filament yarn blended withthe polyamide nylon has many performance attributes, like betterwicking, absorbing moisture quickly and very fast drying as compared tocotton. The loop sizes allow the wicking transfer from the surface, andmoisture is held in the drying mat until the drying mat is dry.

FIG. 3 is a detailed, schematic, magnified drawing of part of terrycloth layer 12 showing only a few loops of threads in parallel rows 22(running across the width) with the location of the other rows beingshown with straight lines. The rows running along the length areidentified by the numeral 24, with most loops being omitted for the sakeof clarity.

As shown in FIG. 3, terry cloth bottom layer 12 is composed oftransverse rows or courses 22 and 24. Terry cloth bottom layer 12 isthus composed of continuous closed loops 23 which run at every row orcourse as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to form a pile fabric. Continuousclosed loops 23 are heat bonded with a heat-activated bonding materialat a bonded face 28, with loops 23 having an exterior portion 30,outside of mat 10 which could have various lengths, starting at lessthan 1/32″ long for relatively high absorbency and softness, and aninterior portion 32 extending from bonded face 28 with a length at leastas long as that of loop 23, and preferably of about 1/16″. The interiorloops are longer to enhance their moisture absorption capability. Theterry cloth in the preferred embodiment is a double knit material havingloops 23 on both sides of bonded face 28. Its density is in the range of320-340 grams per square meter (“GSM”). The overall content of the terrycloth is 88% biconstituent fiber (made of 78% micro-polyester and 22%polyamide nylon) and 12% polyester.

The double-sided terry cloth has been specifically knitted in the aboveblend of microfiber polyester and polyamide to provide for heavier andmore dense loops to add higher absorbency than conventional cotton terrycloth. The foregoing terry cloth had the following test results forwater absorption:

TEST RESULTS TEST PROPERTY SURFACE WATER ABSROPTION OF TERRY FABRICS(ASTM D4772, after one wash) AIR DRY FACE BACK (%) 50.0% 50.0% TUMBLEDRY LOW FACE BACK (%) 50.0% 50.0%

In the event that higher absorption is required, such as for bath mats,terry cloth with loops 23 can be replaced with terry cloth with cutloops or with cut pile. The terry cloth could be quilted with stitching,and designs could be put in the terry cloth using stitching such as adiamond pattern and stripes.

Other types of fine circular knits in variations of terry cloth can alsobe used for different appearances. Some which can be used are 3/up and1/down (three rows of loop terry up and one row down with no loops),2×3/up box terry (alternating rows of two and three rows of loop terryand one row down with no loop) about ½ cm. thick, and 2/up and 1/downterry (two rows of loop terry up and one row down with no loops)composed of 88% biconstituent fiber (composed of 78% micro-polyester and22% polyamide nylon) and 12% polyester.

The top layer of drying mat 10 according to the preferred embodiment ofthe invention is open-hole mesh and a jersey backing. Layer 14 iscomposed of an open-hole mesh front face 33 and a jersey backing 34, asshown in FIG. 2. Open-hole mesh with jersey backing top layer 14 is thusa double knit structure, meaning that it has a front face 33 and ajersey backing which front face 33 and jersey backing 34 cannot beseparated. Double knit materials are made with circular knittingmachines having two complete sets of needles. The thickness of theopen-hole mesh is determined by the amount it is stretched on thecircular loom. The circular knitting machine uses a jacquard template.Open-hole mesh with jersey backing top layer 14 is preferably 100%polyester, and its weight is about 230-245 GSM. Open-hole mesh top layer14 is shown in enlarged form in FIG. 4. The two-sided open-hole meshwith jersey backing top layer 14 has a yarn size construction of75D/36F×68D/24F. This weight makes open-hole mesh with jersey backingtop layer 14 strong enough to keep the objects placed thereon to keepdrying mat 10 from being crushed and to allow air to circulatetherethrough and to enable moisture to flow therethrough as discussedbelow. Open-hole mesh front face 33 has a series of openings 36 with across dimension of 1/16″, and has knit 38 with a length between openings36 of 1/16″ with a half-drop repeat. Openings 36 could vary from 1/16″to ⅛″, but the side-to-side dimension of 1/16″ works most effectively.Other arrangements are also available such as an open-hole mesh withhalf-drop repeat with alternating ribs between the half-drop repeat.

Jersey backing 34, like front face 33, is a type of knit fabric madefrom 100% polyester. Jersey backing 34 is flexible, stretchy and soft,and has small, even, closed-grained stitches. Open-hole mesh with jerseybacking top layer 14 is heat bonded completely to terry cloth bottomlayer 12. Binding 18 is stitched along the opposing outer edges of mat10 to assure the edges of mat 10 will have a clean professional finish.The binding material weight is preferably 111 GSM. The jersey backing 34is a flat material which enhances the heat bonding to the adjacentfabric.

The combination of open-hole mesh with jersey backing top layer 14 andterry cloth bottom layer 12 enables air circulation for air flowingthrough openings 36 of open-hole mesh front face 33 into jersey backing34 and then to the atmosphere. The purpose of this air circulation is toeffect the evaporation of water from objects placed on mat 10, and toexpedite the wicking of moisture into terry cloth bottom layer 12; terrycloth bottom layer 12 dries faster than other drying mats andconventional terry cloth because of the microfiber construction. This isshown schematically in FIG. 5. It can be observed that moisture M isshown schematically as flowing in the direction of arrows A_(A) andbeing absorbed by terry bottom layer 12. Moisture from bottom layer 12is evaporated by air circulating as shown by arrows A_(E) through toplayer 14 and loops 23 in bottom layer 12 to which top layer 14 isbonded.

The foregoing embodiment can be modified in various ways. Referring toFIG. 6, wherein original components have their original identifyingnumbers, a loop 42 shown in FIG. 1 can be added so that drying mat 10could be hung on a supporting hook, handle or the like to dry. Parallelstitches 44 could be added extending across mat 10 to facilitate foldingof the mat. For a mat that is about 18″ long, the stitches 44 could be6″ apart so mat 10 could be folded in thirds. Any number of stitchescould be employed depending on the dimensions of the mat and the sizethe mat is to be folded into.

Furthermore, an inner absorbent layer could be added, such as a jerseylayer (called a “chamois”), or an additional terry cloth layer could beemployed. As shown in FIG. 7, a drying mat 100 is similar to drying mat10 but further includes a plain jersey layer or chamois 46 made ofhighly absorbent material such as one made out of 80% micro-polyesterand 20% polyamide nylon. Even though terry cloth bottom layer 12 is veryabsorbent, some moisture could go through the terry cloth, and an addedhighly-absorbent jersey layer 46 could eliminate or greatly attenuatesuch a transfer of moisture. Furthermore, the circulating air throughopen-hole mesh with jersey backing layer top 14 would evaporate moisturein chamois 46. It should be noted that terry cloth bottom layer 12 isheat-bonded to chamois 46, and the long loops from bottom layer 12 arein contact with chamois 46.

Another variation would be to add printed latex/rubber dots of anappropriate size, such as 1 cm ½ drop repeat, for engaging the floor,countertop or whatever support surface is provided, to prevent thedrying mat from slipping or skipping. It may be necessary to use ashorter exterior loop from terry cloth bottom layer 12 to use apracticable dot.

Referring to FIG. 8, a drying mat 200 is shown, which is like drying mat10 shown in FIG. 1, having imprinted on bottom layer 12 latex/rubberdots 52 of 1 cm with ½ repeats to prevent skipping or slipping of mat200.

Drying mats according to the invention have different opposing surfaces.They can be S-folded, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when displayed forsale. An S-fold means folding a drying mat in thirds, with two of thesame surfaces on opposite sides of one fold portion 48 facing each other(the two surfaces of terry cloth bottom layer 12 face each other abovefold portion 48, and the two surfaces of top layer 14 face each otherbelow fold portion 48), and two of the surfaces on the outwardly-facingsurfaces of a top fold portion 50 and a bottom fold portion 52 are theopposite of each other. This enables a potential customer to see bothsides of the mat without opening the mat from its folded position. Thispermits one to see and feel the texture and color of both sides of themat without undoing the fold.

Drying mats according to the invention have many uses for drying,ranging from small parts, dishes, tableware, pots, pans, etc., whichmats could be relatively small, such as for example 16″ by 18″, tolarger objects, people and animals, in which case the drying mats wouldbe larger. Drying mats according to the invention dry extremely well,and may well be the best drying mats for their intended function inexistence. Drying mats made as described above wash very well in warmwater. The drying mats discussed above are attractive in appearance andcan be made without any wrinkles on either of their surfaces. They canbe made inexpensively, and are ideal household items.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference toits preferred embodiments, but variations and modifications may occur tothose skilled in the art from the foregoing description and from thefollowing claims.

1. A drying mat comprising of the following layers: a first layercomprising an open face material; and a second layer comprising a terrycloth layer for absorbing moisture transferred to said terry clothlayer; wherein said first layer enables air to circulate through saidfirst layer and to absorb moisture from said terry cloth layer to drysaid terry cloth layer and said drying mat.
 2. A drying mat according toclaim 1, wherein said first layer comprises an open-hole mesh with ajersey backing.
 3. A drying mat according to claim 2, wherein said firstlayer is made from yarn having the construction 75D/36F×68D/24F.
 4. Adrying mat according to claim 2, wherein said open-hole mesh with ajersey backing is the top layer of said drying mat, said open-hole meshfacing the exterior of said drying mat, and said terry cloth layer isthe bottom layer of said drying mat.
 5. A drying mat according to claim4, wherein said terry cloth layer is the bottom layer of said dryingmat, said terry cloth layer being double knit having loops extending tothe interior of said drying mat and having loops extending to theexterior of said drying mat.
 6. A drying mat according to claim 5,wherein said loops leading to the interior of said drying mat are atleast as long as said loops leading to the exterior of said drying mat.7. A drying mat according to claim 5, wherein the loops to the exteriorof said mat are no greater than 1/32″ long and the loops to the interiorof said mat are at about 1/16″ long.
 8. A drying mat according to claim4, wherein said open-hole mesh with jersey backing is composed of 100%polyester.
 9. A drying mat according to claim 8, wherein said open-holemesh with jersey backing weighs in the range of 230 to 245 grams persquare meter.
 10. A drying mat according to claim 8, wherein saidopen-hole mesh has holes of a size in the range of 1/16″ to ¼″.
 11. Adrying mat according to claim 2, wherein said open-hole mesh comprisesholes having the size of 1/16″.
 12. A drying mat according to claim 4,wherein said bottom layer has an exterior bottom side facing theexterior of said drying mat, and said exterior bottom side has aplurality of rubber-like dots imprinted thereon to prevent skidding andslipping of said mat.
 13. A drying mat according to claim 4, and furtherincluding a chamois layer disposed between said top layer and saidbottom layer.
 14. A drying mat according to claim 1, wherein said firstlayer and said second layer are heat-bonded with a heat-activatedbonding agent.
 15. A drying mat according to claim 1, wherein said terrycloth layer weighs in the range of 320-340 grams per square meter.
 16. Adrying mat according to claim 1, wherein said terry cloth layer has anoverall content of 88% biconstituent fiber and 12% polyester, saidbiconstituent fiber being a blended yarn composed of 78% micro-polyesterand 22% polyamide nylon.
 17. A drying mat according to claim 16, whereinsaid terry cloth layer has blended yarns with the yarn size and filamentcount 100D/18F×150D/144F in the transverse directions.
 18. A drying mataccording to claim 1, and further comprising an edge binding attachedalong the respective edges of said drying mat.
 19. A drying mataccording to claim 1, wherein said terry cloth is composed of materialsselected from the group consisting of the following terry clothmaterials: 3/rows of loop terry and 1/row down/no loop, alternating rowsof 2 and 3 loops terry and 1/row down/no loop, and 2/rows of loop terryand 1/row down/no loop.
 20. A drying mat according to claim 1, andfurther including at least one line of stitching extending across saiddrying mat to enable the folding of the drying mat along the respectivelines of stitching.
 21. A drying mat according to claim 1, wherein saiddrying mat is S-folded.